Sabbatical 2019 Sabbatical Feedback Evening

Monday 16th September 2019

Three Aims for My Sabbatical

❖ Rest, recuperation and retreat

❖ Family❖ Read, reflect and

learn about rules and rhythms of life

Holy Island - 1st to 3rd April

A good place to start!

A Garden Shed!

Holy Island - 1st to 3rd April

Home and Family Time

Easter @ St Beuno’s

Solitude Stillness Silence

Maundy ThursdayBowl for feet

washing

Flowers

Celebration

“Do you understand what I have

done for you?” John 13:12

Good Friday

Stripped Bare

Tabernacle Empty

Still

Easter Saturday

Cross What does

it mean? Christ is dead

He’s gone,He’s dead,

It’s all over.

The trees are dark, The future is bleak,

It’s all over.

But there is a gap in the trees,But the birds are still singing,

Maybe, just maybe, it isn’t all over?

God, present in darkness, in death,God, holding the world in its despair,

It’s not all over because God is present.

Easter Vigil

All Ready Darkness

Light But too soon?

Easter SundayFlowers

Joy Candle

But where is everyone?

Where are the hymns?

Portugal - Family Time

Gift of a Home

Gift of a Time

Fun, Swimming, Beach, Exploring

Being Dad!

Eating

Church

After Church Fun

Prayer & Reading

A Methodist Way of Life?

‘Only by each follower of Christ being continually transformed in the love of

Christ will the Church be able to live as a faithful, joyful and committed

community.’

Reaffirming Our Calling: the future call of the Methodist Church, a discussion paper to the 2018 Methodist Conference.

Not new ….❖ dispersed communities such as the Methodist Diaconal Order, the

Iona Community and the Northumbria Community.❖ worshipping communities, often fresh expressions of Church,

such as Moot. ❖ residential communities (sometimes with non-residential

members as well), such as The Community of St Anselm or Methodist Chapel House in Bath.

Very Methodist in Ethos‘While most of the new monasticism has emerged outside of the United Methodist Church, increasing numbers of United Methodists are experiencing a sense of call to love and serve in this form of community. Because virtually all the emphases of the new monasticism are consistent with the early Methodist vision and mission, we believe that like early Methodism, the new monasticism is a holiness movement.’

Elaine A. Heath & Scott T. Kisker, Longing for Spring: A New Vision for Wesleyan Community (The Lutterworth Press, Cambridge UK, 2010) , p. 16.

Discipleship and Mission

As I have read and looked at these different expressions of new monasticism I have seen how their coming together as a community has helped those who are members to grow as disciples, to discern vocations, to develop friendships, to serve in local communities, to share faith, to reach out to those in need, to invite others to follow Jesus. It is clear that where they are most faithful to God communities have a clear focus on both discipleship and mission.

What Foundation for a Methodist Way Of Life?

‘the traditions behind the tradition’ - Elaine Heath

‘we need to honour the tradition, the rock from which we were hewn, but not be too deferential.’ - Helen Cameron

Holiness - Scriptural and Social

Holiness Movement‘Early Methodism was a holiness movement that evangelised people both inside and outside the Church. To frame it with my definition of evangelism, Methodism was a holiness movement that initiated people into a holy life, revealed in Jesus Christ, anchored in the Church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, surrendered to the reign of God, for the transformation of the world. What we have in new monasticism is in fact a holiness movement, one that is larger than any denomination but that resonates deeply with the Methodist soul.’

Elaine A. Heath & Scott T. Kisker, Longing for Spring: A New Vision for Wesleyan Community (The Lutterworth Press, Cambridge UK, 2010) , p. 16.

4 Distinctives

1. A holiness movement disciples are called into.

Called Into‘For the sake of God, the monk leaves the world, its allures, pleasures, and all those ties that have been part of his life up until that point. This is painful and hard; after all monks and nuns have much the same feelings and sensibilities as their fellow human beings. The difference is they have heard a call in their hearts, an inviting call that tells them, ‘Come. I am the Way, the Truth, the Life. Follow Me.” The person who decides to become a monk or nun - to enter the solitude of the desert (a monastery or hermitage) - does it because he or she has heard this call, a call stronger than any other, a call to communion and fullness of life with God, a call that fulfils the deepest desires of the heart.’

Brother Victor-Antoine D’Avila-Latourrette, A Rhythm of Life: The Monastic Way (Liguori Publications: Missouri USA, 2012), p. 2.

Not the Only Answer

‘We believe that new monasticism is one good answer to the question of how to live a Christian life. Not the only good answer, not the only true way, but one wonderful path that many follow to grow closer to God.’

Elaine A Heath & Larry Duggins, Missional. Monastic. Mainline: A Guide to starting missional micro-communities in historically mainline traditions (Cascasde Books: Oregan USA, 2014), p 35.

4 Distinctives

1. A holiness movement disciples are called into.2. A place to grow in holiness

4 Distinctives

1. A holiness movement disciples are called into.2. A place to grow in holiness3. A way to share holiness

4 Distinctives

1. A holiness movement disciples are called into.2. A place to grow in holiness3. A way to share holiness4. A holiness community in which to be held

accountable

In Practice❖ Not around ‘Our Calling’❖ Flexibility and Commonality❖ I believe therefore a MWOL needs to have both commonality

and flexibility, not least so that the MWOL can be about both growing in holiness (discipleship) and sharing holiness (mission and evangelism). Commonality and flexibility will also ensure the MWOL is open to those new to faith or exploring faith as well as those who have been disciples for a number of years.

Rule and Way Of Life

❖ Common Rule of Life❖ Framework for locally & individually discerned Way

of Life

Rule Of Life

Methodists commit together to respond to the Gospel of God’s love in Christ by seeking to grow in holiness, to

spreading scriptural and social holiness throughout the world, to inviting others to share in discovering God’s

love.

Way of Life Framework

Growing in holiness as a disciple of Jesus.Growing in holiness with other disciples.

Growing in holiness through mission and evangelism.

Headings with questions from which you draw your rule of life

Example

Growing in holiness as a disciple of Jesus.❖ How will you pray regularly, what pattern will your prayer life take?❖ How will you read and meditate on the Scriptures? ❖ Is there any personal study you are called to do to learn more of God and

faith?❖ How are you called to give/use your time, money and resources to God?

Example

Growing in holiness with other disciples.❖ How often will you commit to be present in corporate worship in your base

congregation?❖ How can your church and small group help you to use/discern/grow in

your spiritual gifts?❖ How will you work with others to care for God’s creation?❖ How might you practice hospitality and generosity?

Example

Growing in holiness through mission and evangelism.❖ How will you witness to the Good News of Jesus?❖ Are there particular people God is calling you to pray for and/or to talk

about your faith with and invite to follow Jesus at the moment?❖ What injustice, if any, has God put on your heart? How are you called to

respond to this?❖ What service activity might you share in with your small group?

So will it work?❖ Don’t know! Possibility to enable cultural change, won’t be the only way❖ Holiness movement within Methodism, Methodist expression of new

monasticism, impacts local congregations❖ Missional/Evangelistic❖ God is at work through new monasticisms and would therefore by in a

Methodist Way of Life❖ Wait and see, what comes from The Conference, willing to give it a go with a

small group of people, learn from that. ❖ Really enjoyed the research, writing, sharing. ❖ Willing share … full 7,500 words!

Back Holy Island - 20th and 21st June

A good place to finish!

Still wrapped up … but not for me

Pray Write

Give Thanks

Stunning Sunset

Ready to return with different perspectives

Knowing there will be different ‘sands’ ahead

Conference

Story nugget …

‘God’s story is profoundly a narrative of love and grace’

Reconnected with that in a deeper way

Retreated in that

Come back ready for more of that

For that …

In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful,

in the Lord I will rejoice!

Look to God, do not be afraid;

lift up your voices, the Lord is near;

lift up your voices, the Lord is near.